Dog skin fungus is a common condition that causes great headaches for dog owners, often occurring in different breeds of dogs for a variety of reasons. As a pet owner, you will surely feel worried when your pet contracts this type of illness, as it brings quite a lot of trouble to both the dog and the owner. Therefore, let's consult the following article from petncute.com to understand more about the situation of dog skin fungus and thereby have better care and prevention methods for your pets!
1. WHAT IS SKIN FUNGUS?
Skin fungus is a common disease caused by different types of fungi, most commonly those belonging to the Dermatophytes group. Fungal fibers will infiltrate and attack the dog's pores and fur, causing symptoms such as skin fungus, ear fungus, dandruff, and ringworm. The affected areas can lead to hair loss. The disease can be transmitted from one animal to another through direct or indirect contact with fungal spores.
2. CAUSES OF SKIN FUNGUS IN DOGS
Skin fungus is a common condition in pets, so understanding the causes of this condition will help us understand it better and have measures for treatment and prevention, specifically as follows:
1 - Contact with the source of infection: Contact with dogs and cats with fungus is one of the common causes of your pet contracting this disease. The fungus can be transmitted through direct contact or indirectly through objects such as toys, brushes, feeding bowls...
2 - Weak immune system: For dogs with weakened immune systems, fungi will easily attack. Especially in older dogs, puppies, and malnourished dogs...
3 - Hygiene issues: Not cleaning the dog’s fur properly will make the dog's skin moist and accumulate dirt, creating favorable conditions for bacteria and mold to thrive.
4 - Improper bathing: Bathing dogs too frequently and intensively will remove the natural oils on the skin, causing a pH imbalance, leading to dry skin and dandruff. Therefore, bathing a dog once a week is the ideal frequency!
Summarizing causes of skin fungus and ringworm dandruff in dogs
3. SIGNS TO IDENTIFY SKIN FUNGUS IN DOGS
Fungus often appears on the skin, fur, ears, between the toes, and nails of dogs. The manifestations of the disease may have different signs depending on the severity. To help you detect early and treat your beloved dog, petncute.com will list a few common symptoms of this disease below!
1 - Hair loss: When infected with fungus, the fur on the dog's body will start falling out more than usual, and the coat will become rough and less smooth than before.
2 - Redness and itching: When affected by a fungus, the dog's body will show red spots, causing them itching and discomfort.
3 - Pustules: Besides red pimples, in many cases, there will be pustules appearing on the lower abdomen and on both hind legs as well!
4 - Unpleasant odor: The fungal-infested skin areas might emit an unpleasant odor.
5 - Constant scratching: When infected with a fungus, dogs will feel itchy and uncomfortable in the areas where the fungus appears. Therefore, they will continuously scratch or bite at the itchy spots on their bodies. This could cause damage to the dog's skin and, if it worsens, could lead to infections.
4. METHODS TO TREAT SKIN FUNGUS IN DOGS
When dogs are infected with fungus, owners can bring them to veterinary facilities for treatment, but should also note about anti-fungal injections, as injections can be harmful to the pet's health. Thus, you can refer to the following treatment methods:
4.1. Let dogs use medication
Currently, there are various types of fungal treatment medications available on the market in many forms such as oral (Itraconazole, Ketoconazole, Fluconazole...); topical (Clotrimazole, Miconazole, Terbinafine, Nizoral, Fungikur...). Additionally, there are other supportive medications such as anti-itch, anti-inflammatory medications... The use of drugs to treat fungus in dogs must adhere to the veterinarian's recommendations. Depending on the severity of the fungal infection and the pet’s health, the veterinarian will prescribe the appropriate medication.
4.2. Utilize natural ingredients
Aside from special medications for fungi, you can also use natural ingredients such as: soapberry bark and leaves; sea almond leaves; betel leaves; neem leaves... to treat your pet's fungus!
Instructions on treating skin fungus and ringworm dandruff in dogs
4.3. Use saline solution & Keep dogs clean
Pet owners can dilute the saline solution with water and use it to clean the fungal areas for the pet. Besides that, owners must also keep their pets clean. Note when the dog is infected with fungus, you should use anti-fungal shampoos for dogs as per the vet's guidance!
5. NOTES ON PREVENTING SKIN FUNGUS IN DOGS
In the final part of the article, petncute.com will share some tips to prevent skin fungus in dogs and avoid the recurrence of this situation, affecting the pet's health as follows:
5.1. Full vaccination
Administering the necessary vaccines correctly and sufficiently for pets will help enhance their immune system. Besides preventing itchy fungal diseases, it can also prevent other diseases. Therefore, owners should pay close attention to the vaccination issue of pets!
5.2. Clean living environment
When raising any animal, the important prerequisite is to always keep their living environment clean because bacteria can establish a habitat there if not thoroughly cleaned. Therefore, owners should regularly clean and maintain their pet’s kennel in a clean, cool state!
Notes on preventing skin fungus and ringworm dandruff in pets
5.3. Other notes when preventing skin fungus in dogs
1 - Sunbathe for your pets: Regularly letting dogs sunbathe in the morning will help reduce the occurrence of fungus on their body!
2 - Develop a suitable diet: Owners should also pay attention to providing dogs with the necessary nutrients in meals such as essential vitamins and minerals... to boost their immunity. Currently, we offer two specialized fresh pate lines for beloved dogs: Protector (for dogs under 3 months old): Slimming Beef, Strutting Quail, Slimming Chicken, Slimming Pork, Swimming Duck; Tasty (for dogs over 3 months old): Little Beef, Little Chicken, Little Pork.
3 - Trim fur: Regularly trimming your dog's fur is advisable, ensuring their coat is not too thick and long, as this can foster fungal growth!
Through this article, petncute.com has addressed a number of queries regarding skin fungus in dogs. petncute.com wishes you and your beloved dog good health. Finally, thank you for accompanying petncute.com in this article and look forward to seeing you in subsequent articles!